The problem with on-line dating

Well, one of many. The whole concept just utterly confuses me.

For example:

This guy e-mails me. I read his profile. He seems interesting. I e-mail him back. A few days pass. He e-mails me again. This time I wait a few days and e-mail him back. Five days later....nothing.*

Another example:

This guy hotlists me. I read his profile. He seems interesting. I send him a "wink" for encouragement. A week and a half later....nothing.

Like I said, the whole thing is utterly baffling to me. Yeah, I'm sure these guys are e-mailing a dozen women at a time, but even so...the games are exhausting. No, it's not exhausting; it's more annoying. I've tried on-line dating off-and-on for three years now, and it never seems to work for me.

*note: I realize I'll hear from him again eventually. This e-mail cycle will continue for weeks, perhaps even months, before we finally decide to meet up or I get bored with the cycle. You know, whichever comes first.